ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator Aitzaz Ahsan said on Tuesday that Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry did not have the authority to issue political statements, DawnNews reported.

Speaking to media representatives outside the Lahore High Court (LHC), Ahsan said the interim verdict of the Supreme Court pertaining to the Balochistan law and order case was non-implementable. He said the verdict was similar to Article 58-2B which allowed the sacking of elected representatives.

He said the courts should only speak through just judgments and added that the army chief did not have the right to make political statements.

Barrister Ahsan added that if the army or the government did anything against the judiciary, the people would take a stand for it.

Earlier on Monday, General Kayani had stated that any efforts to create a divide between the people and armed forces undermined the country’s greater national interest.

Later on the same day, Chief Justice Iftikhar had emphasised that missiles and tanks never guaranteed the stability and security of a country and nor were they considered a manifestation of ‘hard power’.